On Monday, Jennifer Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C, NE-BC, took office as president of the Emergency Nurses Association.
Schmitz, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, joined ENA in 2002 as a new graduate nurse and has been active at the local, state and national levels ever since. She served as Maine ENA State Council president and as a member of the council’s board of directors, participated on the ENA Operations Committee in 2016 and 2017, is an active TNCC and ENPC instructor, and served as a board member at the national level.
Schmitz enters 2022 with a focus on recharging ENA and its members who have experienced burnout and exhaustion as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Schmitz hopes to inspire emergency nurses to find time to recharge and keep pushing forward. Furthering that inspiration, Schmitz aims to build confidence in individuals who may be hesitant to pursue a role at the local, state or national level within the association.
“I’m thrilled to lead such a great organization and look forward to the triumphs and challenges that lay ahead,” said Schmitz. “Emergency nursing is a complex profession, so it’s important for all of us to focus on recharging. Whether that’s spending time doing a hobby we love, giving back to our communities, or volunteering with the association, my goal is to provide a consistent reminder that we must take care of ourselves.”
Schmitz has spent her entire career in emergency nursing, primarily in a community hospital setting. She has served at a variety of levels and is currently the chief nursing officer for Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford, Maine, where she still cares for patients at the stretcherside.
The 2022 ENA Board of Directors:
President: Jennifer Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C, NE-BC, of Maine
President-elect: Terry Foster, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, FAEN, of Kentucky
Secretary/Treasurer: Chris Dellinger, MBA, BSN, RN, FAEN, of West Virginia
Directors:
Dustin Bass, MHA, BSN, RN, CEN, BE-BC, of North Carolina
Joop Breuer, RN, FAEN, The Netherlands
Vanessa Gorman, MSN, RN, CCRN, FAEN, FCENA, of Australia
Steven J. Jewell, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, of Texas
Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC, of Florida
Cheryl Randolph, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, FNP-BC, TCRN, FAEN, of California
Jack Rodgers, MBA, RN, CEN, NREMT-P, FAEN, of Georgia
Immediate Past President: Ron Kraus, MSN, RN, EMT, CEN, TCRN, ACNS-BC, of Indiana
Emerging Professional Liaison: Amie Porcelli, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, of Pennsylvania
Chief Executive Officer: Nancy MacRae, MS, of Illinois